By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
A resident of the Rhode Island Veterans’ Home who tested positive for coronavirus has been removed from the Bristol facility, and a staff member is being treated for the virus, said Governor Gina Raimondo, who ordered the National Guard to assist in testing and sanitation efforts.
Raimondo said Sunday that she wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation at Massachusetts’ state-run Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, where more than 70 residents died of COVID-19.
“This is, this can be scary,” Raimondo said. “We all saw what happened in Massachusetts and I’m going to do everything I know how to do to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
A spokeswoman for the governor said that all 180 residents of the home and some 273 staff members including outside cleaning service and other state maintenance workers were being tested over the weekend for the virus.
Several times in briefings over the weekend, Raimondo indicated that on Monday, she would talk about what will inform her decisions about whether to extend the stay-at-home orders that she initially issued in March, and are scheduled to expire May 8.
After again urging residents to maintain social distancing and wearing cloth face coverings, Raimondo said, “I’m really looking forward to lifting that stay-at-home order on May 8th, because everything I know now tells me we’re going to be ready”.
Raimondo indicated to small businesses to be ready to apply Monday morning at 10:30 for federal assistance in the Payroll Protection Program, for additional funds approved by Congress and signed into law late last week by President Donald Trump.
“We will work with speed to get you connected to a financial entity that can get you the loan,” she said. “You’ve got to move fast on this one.” An initial round of funding was snapped up quickly by small and large businesses across the country.
Raimondo also urged people and children feeling stressed by the stay-at-home order to reach out to services including BH Link and Kids Link for help.
She also encouraged Rhode Islanders to turn to the arts for solace, highlighting what she called a new virtual exhibit created by the arts group WaterFire called “Beacon of Hope”. It includes an online, 24 hour a day video of numerous luminaries, each dedicated to one of the victims of the pandemic in Rhode Island.
As of Sunday, the Rhode Island Department of Health reported 11 new deaths, for a total of 226; 310 new positive cases, 7,439 total cases with 258 people hospitalized.
